


A Fortnight of Falling

by Verai



Series: Desperate Desire [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Aftercare, Dubious Consent, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gun Violence, Injury, Mention of previous non-con, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex, deputy arthur, medium honor Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-19 14:45:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18137114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verai/pseuds/Verai
Summary: So begins your two weeks of being Deputy Morgan's house guest. You didn’t know what to expect, but you had some ideas. You discovered that you were absolutely wrong.





	1. An Unpredicted Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you asked for a sequel, so I decided to oblige. This might be construed as Stockholm Syndrome. But I'd like to think you have a mind of your own, and wrote it as such. Also did some research on 1890s stuff, but some of this might be a little anachronistic anyway. And finally… this isn’t the smut fest I thought it would be. There’s some major feels here. Not sure how that happened.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part starts off right after the end of Sinful Payment.

You almost fell asleep, lying on the cot with no clothes on. But Arthur cleaned you up while you were yawning, letting him move your limbs back into your clothes. He buttoned you up and even brushed his hands through your hair, tying it back up in a surprisingly neat bun. He brought you back to your little cabin on the edge of town, riding on his white Arabian horse like a prince.

 

 _He’s no prince_ , you thought. _He’s the devil._

 

Fishing the key from your pocket, you opened the door, stepped inside, and turned around to shut it, expecting him to leave.

 

He didn’t; instead, he stood in the door frame so you couldn’t close the door.

 

“What?” you asked him sharply, your hand gripping the door handle.

 

“Get some rest, and pack your things when you wake up. I’ll come get you at sunrise.”

 

Sighing, you nodded. “Sunrise. Sure.”

 

He tipped his hat to you and left. Slamming the door shut, you locked it and stomped around your house a little bit to de-stress. After changing into your sleepwear, you flopped down and shut your eyes. Didn’t take you long to fall asleep, but you were hounded by nightmares of having to clean up a messy house.

 

***

 

Arthur came at sunrise, just as he said. You were groggy, dragging yourself out of bed when you heard his insistent knock on the door.

 

“I’m up, I’m up,” you grumbled as you got dressed and unlocked the door, letting him inside. He sauntered in like he owned the place, taking in your little house in a sweeping glance.

 

It was tidy and clean; a bed to the far right with a small nightstand, and a stove, cooking area, and a basin to the far left. There was a square table and one chair to the left of the door, and some cabinets on the right.

 

His eyes rested on a few floor boards near the foot of your bed. You quickly started packing your clothes into a suitcase to distract him, but you got the feeling he knew. He leaned against the door frame, waiting for you to finish putting away everything you needed for two weeks. You didn’t need much; you lived a simple life, except for your excursions. But since you wouldn’t be doing that for a while, you left your burglary clothing in the lower part of the cabinet. You picked up your suitcase with two hands, dragged it off the bed, and started walking towards Arthur.

 

He immediately stood up straight and took your suitcase from you, carrying it in one hand. He waited for you to lock your door and look back at your cabin one last time before walking with him to his horse. He tied your suitcase to the back and lifted you into the saddle. Getting in behind you, he wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close.

 

“Hold on,” he said as he took you home.

 

***

 

Standing in front of a small cabin on the other side of town and a bit further into the forest, you were quietly impressed, but didn’t want to say it in front of Arthur. The path leading to the house was barely there, but once you got there, you saw a small vegetable and herb garden in front, and some flowers growing off to the side, too neat to be there on accident. The house itself was in good condition, with one window frame on the left that was painted a dark green. He had hitched his horse and carried your suitcase up the front porch. As he unlocked the door, he said over his shoulder, “Make yourself at home,” and stepped inside.

 

You snorted in a very unladylike manner as you walked up the steps and followed him in.

 

Letting your eyes adjust to the dimmer room, you noticed two very important things. First thing was that he had two rooms: the main room with the cooking and eating area, and a separate bedroom off to the right, where you could see a dresser just beyond a slightly open interior door. Second thing was that the house was pretty bare, but what he did own was neatly stored away. A few picture frames were on top of a cabinet on the far wall, his cooking area looked relatively clean, and his table was clear. You were expecting piles of dirty clothes and dishes everywhere, trash all on the floor. This was… different.

 

“So why am I here?” you asked.

 

He gave you a heated look, and you glared back at him. He smiled.

 

“Now, if anyone asks, you’re here because there might be dangerous men pokin’ around near your neck of the woods, and I’m takin’ extra precautions for your safety. I’ll take you to work, and I’ll pick you up from there too, so don’t think of runnin’ off.”

 

You nodded. He took your suitcase into his bedroom, and you followed him. Inside was a simple bed, a nightstand, & a short dresser. He put your suitcase on top of the dresser, then checked his pocket watch.

 

“Guess I need to take you to work soon. It's almost 8 AM.”

 

“How–”

 

He tapped the side of his head with two fingers. “Good memory.”

 

“Right.” You turned around to leave, but he suddenly pulled you back into his arms, his chest warm and solid against your back.

 

You tensed immediately, but he just kissed the top of your head and let you go. Looking back at him suspiciously out of the corner of your eye, you headed back outside to his horse. This all  seemed almost too domestic as he followed you out and locked his door. The two of you got back on his horse and rode into town.

 

***

 

You were met with surprisingly few questions. After Deputy Arthur had nodded his greeting to the doctor, he had left to patrol around town, leaving you with a strange sense of normalcy. You worked all day, keeping your mind on the present, your focus on what was in front of you. During some down time, the doctor walked you through some more advanced first aid techniques, in case he was unavailable and someone came in with something worse than a cut or a burn.

 

As 5 PM rolled around, you were organizing the last of your notes when you heard someone come in.

 

“Hey there.”

 

You looked up at the sound of Arthur’s voice, his cheerful tone grating on your nerves.

 

“I’m almost done, just wait,” you groused.

 

The doctor, overhearing from his office, peeked out around the door. “I’ve never heard her so annoyed; what’d you do?” he asked, amused by the exchange.

 

“Didn’t clean the dishes properly,” Arthur joked, and they both laughed. You loved the doctor like family, but you didn’t like him very much at the moment.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’re lookin’ after her,” the doctor said finally. “I was always worried about her livin’ on her own like that.”

 

“I’m right here,” you muttered. Then you said louder, “I always was fine.”

 

“I know, dear. But all alone like that? If someone were to pass by your little house and decide to rob you? I don’t know what I’d do,” he said with a somewhat paternalistic tone.

 

You sighed. The doctor was a little old fashioned, but he was kind and worried for your safety. His heart was in the right place, but his pestering you about living closer to town got old as hell. Shaking your head, you finished filing everything away and grabbed your handbag.

 

“Let’s go,” you mumbled. “Good night, doctor,” you called over your shoulder as you swept out the door. Arthur tipped his hat to him as you walked by and followed you to his horse.

 

***

 

“Alright, so how come no one asked me any questions?”

 

You felt Arthur shrug behind you. “Just let a few people know you’re stayin’ with me for a bit, until I investigate the disturbance around the south of town.”

 

In a town like this, news spread quick; the doctor must’ve heard it during his lunch. And unfortunately for you, Arthur had gained enough trust that people would believe him. Yours was the only cabin in the south because it was uphill and no one wanted to hike home. Everyone else lived towards the northwest, and you noticed that Arthur lived towards the east, also away from town.

 

“Why don’t you live closer to everyone else?”

 

“I could ask you the same question,” he shot back.

 

You were silent for a while, and he patiently waited for your answer. After a while, you replied, “I like the birds and the sounds of the forest. I can hear the creek on some nights, just beyond the hills. It’s peaceful.”

 

“Ayup, same,” he grunted.

 

A few more minutes of silence passed.

 

“Is there actually a disturbance near my house? Or was that a lie?”

 

Arthur was silent for too long. You turned around to look at him, and he finally answered.

 

“There’s somethin’. Haven’t quite pinned it down yet.”

 

You stared hard at him, trying to figure out if he was fibbing.

 

“I won’t lie to you,” he said sternly.

 

“But you’ll do other things to me,” you muttered.

 

He grabbed your jaw and pulled you close. “You’re a thief, remember? If I weren’t such a merciful man, I’d drop you off at the St. Denis sheriff office with some of that jewelry you stole.”

 

You swallowed. Yup, he definitely knew which floorboards to look under. You still glared at him though.

 

He let go of you and grabbed the reins again. The rest of the trip was made in silence.

 

***

 

Back at Arthur’s cabin, you started to prepare dinner; he had a rabbit from the other day hanging out back, and you picked some herbs from outside to go with it. You thought it was rather convenient to have herbs growing out front; you contemplated doing the same for your house too.

 

Arthur had wandered off to get water, and you finished cooking just as he returned, carrying two large buckets. He looked a little cleaner, too.

 

As you placed two dishes of roasted rabbit with some carrots on the table, you realized he only had one chair. Turning to look at him, he shrugged and sat down in the one chair, wrapping one arm around you and pulling you into his lap.

 

“Eat,” he commanded. You were about to argue just out of spite, but your stomach growled. Deciding that arguing was better done on a full stomach, you ate begrudgingly at first, but soon you just enjoyed the meal you made. He was quiet; it was almost nice. He ate with one hand, his other arm wrapped around you the entire time.

 

***

 

After dinner, you got up to clean up the plates. You noticed his hand lingering on you as you moved out of his reach. He offered to heat up some water for you to clean up, and you just nodded as he bustled around the room behind you while you washed the dishes. It was strange. It was surreal.

 

You wondered when things would turn.

 

He finally went into the bedroom and closed the door. You waited a few moments to see if he would come back out before going to the basin to wash yourself with a clean flannel and the nice warm water he had heated for you.

 

You kept your eyes on the door as you took off your blouse and skirt and wiped yourself down. Normally, washing would be relaxing. Now it was stressful as you jumped at any creak in the room. Quickly putting everything back on and finally feeling clean, you faced the bedroom door. Were you supposed to go in there? Unless you wanted to sleep on the floor, you didn’t have much of a choice.

 

You heard Arthur call your name through the walls. His voice was muffled coming from the other room, but you heard his words clearly.

 

“You comin’ in yet?”

 

You sighed. Walking towards the room, you opened the door.

 

You immediately covered your eyes, but he laughed, so you put your hands back down and glared at him. He was sitting on his bed in only his short drawers, and you could see the muscles, the scars, and strangely enough, a simple tattoo of a wolf over his heart. Your eyes lingered on the simple black lined tattoo long enough for him to notice.

 

“C’mere and I’ll tell you,” he coaxed. You stepped closer, just within arm's length. But when he reached out, you stepped back and took a deep breath; you almost fell for his trap.

 

“Tell me first,” you quietly said.

 

He gave you a wry grin, as if he knew you weren’t going to fall so easily. “The wolf means loyalty, so I’m told.”

 

“Who gave it to you?”

 

“A tattoo artist up north,” he said, his grin widening.

 

“I meant…”

 

“I asked for it,” he answered to your surprise, suddenly looking at you seriously. “To remind me of what matters most.”

 

Loyalty. You tilted your head, considering him. Yes, you were technically a thief in the eyes of the law; and in the eyes of the town, Arthur had been a godsend. There were less bar fights, less robberies, fewer visits from the local gangs. Even though you were biased against him at the moment, you knew he was good for the town.

 

He held out his hand to you. “Come closer, kitten,” he said, his voice deepening with desire. “I want to hold you.”

 

Your mouth suddenly dry, you slowly walked towards him and took his hand. He pulled you into his lap so that you sat sideways. Reaching up to loosen your hair from its ribbon, he started peppering your cheek with soft kisses as he ran his hand through your hair, letting it fall down your back. You felt him caress your leg with his other hand, his fingers pressing against your inner thigh.

 

“So lovely,” he whispered against your neck as he nibbled on your soft skin. His touch became more insistent, his hands lowering in their exploration as he moved to unbutton your blouse. You sat there like a doll, both turned on and shocked still. Where was this coming from? He was being so soft with you, and you didn’t expect it. You expected, well, you expected the same as last night in the jail cell.

 

Instead, he was gently removing your shirt, while lifting up the hem of your skirt so he could slip his fingers between your legs to touch you intimately, stroking the fire within you as he kept kissing every inch of skin he could reach. He licked the dip of your collarbone and you moaned. Moving further down, he held your breast and licked and fondled you, teasing your sensitive parts until you reached up to his shoulders and gripped him tight, silently begging for mercy.

 

Then you felt him plunge his fingers into your wet slit, felt his thumb stroke your clit in the best way. Crying out, he encouraged you to pant and moan like a whore.

 

“You sound so good, kitten. Come for me,” he murmured. Your fingers dug into his shoulders so tightly, you were sure you drew blood with your fingernails as you came hard, sobbing with the intensity of it. He silenced your cries by kissing you deeply.

 

When he finally let you up to breathe, he smiled at you, satisfaction written all over his face. Your breathing was ragged, your eyelids were heavy. He lay you down beside him on the bed and took off the rest of your clothes. He pulled you close and wrapped his arms around you.

 

“G’night, kitten,” he whispered as you fell into a hazy, afterglow-imbued sleep.

 

***

 

The next morning, when you woke up, your clothes were laid out on top of your suitcase for you. Arthur was gone, but you could hear some noise in the other room. You got dressed and stepped into the other room.

 

Arthur was washing a pan. It smelled good, and you looked at the table with its one chair. There was a plate of eggs.

 

“Took you long enough,” he said teasingly. “I’ll take you to work after you eat.”

 

You sat down to eat. The eggs were actually pretty good. Had some herbs in there, too.

 

The rest of the day passed normally: he took you to town, you worked all day, he came to pick you up, took you to his house. But this time, you noticed something different.

 

There was an extra chair at the table.

 

\-------------------

Note: Floor Plan of their cabins:


	2. An Unexpected Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days 2 to 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know how I got here.

You were pretty sure things were going to change. Any day now, he’d turn into that ravaging beast.

 

The past few days had been so mundane, so  _ normal _ , that you couldn’t believe it. Well, except for the fact that he touched you every night. Every _.  _ Damn. Night. Made you scream and moan and cry with no shame. 

 

You had never slept so well in your whole life.

 

But he hadn’t taken his own pleasure from you, hadn’t done anything else beyond satisfying you. You knew he wanted you. You could feel his hardness every time he held you close. But he had held back. Not only that, but much to your annoyance, he was a very considerate person. He would quietly give you the larger portion of meat if you mentioned missing lunch due to work; he would even wash dishes for you if you looked tired during dinner.

 

Thus, you were very suspicious. He was being too nice.

 

***

 

As you cleaned up your desk and bid the doctor good night, you stretched your arms and took in a deep breath as you stepped outside of the office to wait for Arthur. Tomorrow was your day off, and you were looking forward to it. You could read a book, do some grocery shopping, weed the garden…

 

Oh lord. For being stuck at Arthur’s under duress, you were adjusting rather well. But you were always good at adapting; after leaving your family farm out west, you had thought to go to St. Denis to study medicine. After being robbed of your tuition money, you ended up in this town to spend the night before going back home, but you made friends with the doctor who thought you would could be a good study. Taking advantage of the opportunity, you decided to stick around until you had learned all you could before heading out again. 

 

A year later, and you had a nice little cabin, a few friends, not close, but nice ladies you could ask to have a dinner with if you were feeling lonely, and a fulfilling job. And of course, your side hobby. 

 

Of course, said hobby was now on hold because of an ocean-eyed deputy, no,  _ ranger _ , who was holding it over you. 

 

You debated going back to your hobby after Arthur let you go. He was observant, too sharp for your liking. The moment he got a report from one of the richer families saying they were missing an article of jewelry or something, he'd probably question you first.

 

You sighed deeply. You should have fenced those things in St. Denis instead of keeping them. Then there would have been no evidence. 

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

You turned to see Arthur walking up to you, leading his horse.

 

“Nothing,” you lied, and fell into step with him.

 

He just peered at you knowingly.

 

“It’s nothing!” you insisted.

 

“Yup,” he said sarcastically.

 

You stomped away, hearing his chuckle before he took three quick steps to pick you up and put you on his horse before getting on himself and riding home.

 

***

 

You ate dinner, refusing to give into Arthur's questions. He seemed amused by your reticence, trying to ask you in roundabout ways to get to your innermost thoughts, while you just gave him short answers, or switched topics, or just didn't respond at all. 

 

You stood to clean up, but he got up as well and put his hands on your shoulders, pushing gently downwards. You sat back down, but he didn't let go. He started to massage your shoulders, his thumbs working your muscles and getting out the kinks. You sighed in relief; you had been tense all day, for various reasons. Closing your eyes, you relaxed as his hands worked on your body, first gently rubbing your shoulder blades, then towards your spine, and down your back. His fingers ghosted down your sides, gripping your waist as he molded circles around your lower back muscles with his thumbs. 

 

You moaned. You thought about walking away from him, but his hands felt so good that you opted to set aside your annoyance with him for now. You felt like butter, melting under his warm touch, and your body relaxed so much that you lay your head down on the table and just  _ breathed.  _

 

You felt his hands leave you, heard him put dishes away so the table was clear. And then his hands were on you again. But this time, he pulled you up from the table and reached around to unbutton your blouse. He slid the fabric off your shoulders, let it slide down your arms, and kissed your revealed skin. He started to slide your chemise off as well. 

 

“Stand up,” he said, his voice dropping. 

 

You stood, a bit shakily, as he kicked the chair aside and pulled you to his chest. Teasingly slow, he skimmed his fingers all over you as the fabric fell away. 

 

He turned you around and took your hands. Placing them on the collar of his shirt, he didn't have to say a word. You started to unbutton his shirt, your hands trembling as you worked each button. 

 

You knew what was coming. It didn't occur to you to say no. You weren't sure you would’ve meant it if you did.

 

Sliding his shirt off, your hands ran over his chest and down his biceps, squeezing his lower arms before stepping back. He threw his shirt on the table behind you and reached for the buttons on your skirt, undoing them and letting the fabric fall around your ankles, and then pulled the ribbon on your drawers so they fell as well. Naked in front of his hungry gaze, you resisted the urge to hide yourself. This was the price you paid, so let him have it. You stuck your chin out with pure stubborn grit.

 

Arthur smiled and picked you up, sitting you on the table. Spreading your legs, he stepped between them and touched your center.

 

“You’re so wet, kitten. I’ve trained you well these past few days,” he said, his voice low and hoarse with need. “Do you like this?”

 

“I… I do. I like it,” you mumbled.

 

“That the truth?”

 

You were silent, thinking about it. To your dismay, it  _ was _ the truth. You nodded.

 

“Good. I want you to enjoy yourself. It means a lot to me.”

 

Something resembling devotion was ablaze in his eyes. You looked away. It was too much. All you could do was lay your forehead against his shoulder as he played with your clit and fingered you, his chin resting on top of your head as your breaths became ragged and shuddering. Your legs shook and clamped around his waist as he curled his fingers up inside you, and you dug your fingers into his shoulders.

 

Then, just as you were on the brink of ecstasy, he stepped away, leaving you empty and frustrated. You cried out wordlessly at the loss.

 

“Just give me a second,” he said, his voice rough with desire. You watched him drop his pants in a heartbeat and step towards you, guiding his cock to your wet entrance. With his other hand, he gripped your chin and forced you to look at him. 

 

Too intense. You started to hyperventilate as he entered you. His eyes were drowning you with passion.

 

“Easy now. Breathe,” he murmured into your ear as he pushed deeper into you, filling, stretching, a sweet burning that made you whimper. You took a slow, shuddering breath, inhaling his scent. 

 

He wrapped his big hands around your hips, his fingers digging into you as he drove the last inch inside of you. He stayed that way for a minute, watching you adjust to him. You dug your fingers into his back as you exhaled slowly. 

 

And then he began to move. Short shoves at first, but then he was taking you with long, forceful strokes. He grabbed your legs and wrapped them around his waist, then held you tight as he fucked you on the table. 

 

Your head lolled back and you cried out with each thrust, unable to keep your reactions under control. His grin turned feral as he watched your body under his power. 

 

“That's right, you're mine,” he growled. He pulled out of you and flipped you onto your stomach, your legs hanging over the side. He nudged them apart and entered you from behind, holding you down by your upper arms against the table. 

 

You cried out over and over; it was too good, he was hitting you inside at just the right angle, in just the perfect spot to make your body tighten with each thrust. He murmured your name, praising how good you felt around him, how much he loved being inside of you.

 

Arthur reached down and rubbed your clit, and you jerked violently under him as you got close to your release. He showed no mercy as you started gasping; he knew exactly how to touch you, making you come hard, feeling his cock pumping in and out you, his hot breath on your neck. He rode out your release until you were panting heavily, squirming under him. 

 

He pulled out, grabbed your hair at the base of your neck, and pulled you off the table onto your knees. Forcing your head to his cock, he rumbled, “Drink up, kitten.” 

 

You wrapped your lips around his cock and bobbed your head up and down on him, looking up at him with your glassy, afterglow stare. He looked back at you like you were the sexiest woman alive, and when you moaned around his length, the grip on your hair tightened and he thrust into your mouth for a few intense seconds before shooting his spend down your throat, moaning your name. 

 

You got up to go clean off, but Arthur picked you up and took you to the bedroom. 

 

“I'll clean you up,” he said gently as he lay you on his bed. You just let him tenderly wash you as you started to fall asleep. When he was done, he got into bed with you, kissing your forehead. 

 

“Sweet dreams.”

 

***

 

Six days had passed since you started house arrest.

 

Slowly waking up, you stretched and looked around. You felt sore, but relaxed. After getting out of bed and putting on some casual clothes, you walked into the main room and saw a note on the table. 

 

_ Out patrolling. Be back at dinner.  _

 

“Guess the law doesn't get a day off,” you muttered to yourself. You looked over at the sink; it was full of dirty dishes and pans from last night. Remembering why you hadn’t cleaned last night, your face warmed at the memory, but now you had to pay the price for being seduced. 

 

“Dammit,” you grumbled as you rolled up your sleeves and got to work. 

 

***

 

You were so focused on tending the garden that you didn’t notice Arthur until you finally stood up to stretch your back. With dirt smudges on your face and your hair haphazardly tied up so it was out of your way, you looked a mess. And yet the look on his face, like he was staring at an angel, made you smile. Until you remembered that he was the reason you were here in the first place. 

 

You dropped your smile and glowered at him.

 

He ducked his head down and walked around the corner to hitch his horse. You could hear him talking sweetly to her, telling her what a good girl she was, how brave she was. Laughing softly to yourself, you remembered last night, what it felt like to be on the receiving end of all that praise.

 

You mentally kicked yourself for the memory and went inside to make dinner.

 

***

 

Nine days had passed since you started living with Deputy Morgan, not that you were counting. Despite your resistance, you felt yourself being lulled into a feeling of normality; each day was the same, yet each night was something new and yet slowly becoming familiar. You were growing accustomed to his touch, and you weren’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing. If you were any other woman in this town, surely you would have thought this was a dream come true.

 

But you were you, with your own thoughts and a strong sense of independence. You recognized that the method in which he had coerced you into this situation was wrong. But you also recognized that he was doing a lot of good for the town. And you also knew that your thieving wasn’t exactly something most people would sympathize with; if Arthur had outed you, you suspect that most of the town, while shocked, would turn on you quite quickly, especially since you had taken some decent items from some of the more rich people in town.

 

In the afternoon while the doctor was away on a house call, a man you didn’t know showed up at the door, with two gun holsters and an arrogant grin. You immediately stood up and asked him to wait as he sauntered past you towards the doctor’s room.

 

“I don’t need your permission, missy,” he snapped, continuing to walk towards the back of the office. You watched him begin to rummage around in the cabinets, so you quickly reached into a drawer under your desk and pulled the revolver out. You had really hoped you’d never need to use this, but you were grateful the doctor had stored it there in case he was out and you were alone.

 

“Please leave,” you said, proud that your voice didn’t waver. You pointed the gun at his back, the biggest target. Even from across the room, you were afraid you’d miss.

 

The man laughed. “You ain’t gonna shoot. You ain’t that kind of person.” He turned around and started stalking towards you. “I’m just lookin’ for a bit of cash to help me along. No one needs to get hurt.”

 

You pulled the safety.

 

He sneered at you as he stopped walking. His hand twitched, hovering over his holstered gun.

 

You fired at the same time he did. He was fast, a real gunslinger, but he hadn’t expected you to actually pull the trigger. Your shot went through his shoulder, and his shot grazed the side of your neck. You immediately fell to your knees, your hand going to your neck and holding the wound while your other hand still gripped the gun tightly. Your skin burned, and you could feel blood oozing from the wound.

 

The man staggered towards you, pissed as hell. “You  _ bitch _ ,” he hissed. He lifted his gun to your head, and you looked up into the barrel, shocked and angry that you hadn’t had the sense to shoot him again.

 

You heard a gunshot, saw the man’s head explode with blood. You had seen wounds, sure, but you had never seen anyone killed in front of you. You were used to blood. But just now? That had been a lot of blood. You shut your eyes and focused on just breathing shallowly through your mouth so you couldn’t smell the blood.

 

There was a loud buzzing in your ears, but beyond that was a voice calling your name.

 

You opened your eyes. Arthur was kneeling in front you, his face creased with worry. When you blinked and said his name, he breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Then as you moved your hand, he saw the blood coming from your neck and paled. But you took a deep breath, waved him off and went into the doctor’s office. Cleaning your wound in the sink, you gritted your teeth against the cold water. Arthur stood nearby, unsure of what to do. You would have laughed, if not for the fact that his fretting was out of concern for you.

 

Grabbing the bottle of whiskey and pouring some over your wound, you hissed in discomfort. Then you wiped your hands clean and took a roll of gauze from the medicine cabinet, wrapping it around your neck. Checking your work in the small mirror above the sink, you nodded at yourself before turning back to Arthur, who was staring at you with something too close to awe.

 

“What?” you asked, curious.

 

“You’re amazin’,” he said bluntly.

 

Taken aback, you could only open and close your mouth like a fish out of water.

 

“I mean, anyone else would be in shock, cryin’, blubberin’ incoherent. You just… you just carry on,” he said as he slowly walked towards you as if you would run away if spooked.

 

You stood still, watching him warily. He was being too nice again. Your heart hurt to look at his face, at the open tenderness in his eyes. He gently wrapped his arms around you and pressed his lips against your forehead.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered.

 

***

 

He helped you clean up the office, and when the doctor showed up, the two of you told him what happened. Giving you a pat on the back and expressing his gratitude to the deputy for showing up when he did, the doctor examined your wound, praised you on your bandaging, and sent you home early to recover. You insisted you were fine, but he ignored you and asked Deputy Morgan to take you home.

 

He was quiet on the ride back, as were you. But he held you close, his lips never far from your skin. When you got back, he held your hand and told you he’d take care of you that night. He cooked, cleaned, fed you…

 

Honestly, you were getting a little annoyed at everyone treating you like an invalid. You just shot a man, so what?

 

Oh lord.

 

You shot a man.

 

You faced the wrong side of a gun barrel.

 

You saw a man’s head explode with blood.

 

You recognized shock when it was in others; you hadn’t recognized it in yourself until the dam that was holding your emotions back crumbled after dinner as Arthur was washing dishes. You were just sitting at the table one moment, and the next, tears starting flowing and you couldn’t stop. You started shuddering and pain bloomed in your muscles, as if you had been tensed up this whole time and only now did your body relax.

 

Arthur dropped what he was doing and turned to you immediately at your first whimper of pain. Crossing the room in a flash, he carried you to the bedroom and held you close, massaging your back and murmured comforting words in your ear. 

 

You took slow, deep breaths to calm yourself, and with each breath you inhaled his scent, wild herbs and gun smoke. Eventually you felt in control again; your body stopped shaking, your tears stopped. And in your calm, you noticed that Arthur, holding you like a glass vase, was trembling ever so slightly. 

 

“You're shaking,” you said, confused. 

 

He was quiet as he took a deep breath as well. 

 

“I was afraid,” he finally whispered. “Of losing you.”

 

You wanted so badly to just scoff at the idea. But seeing the way he was looking at you, with his eyes gazing so deep into yours, you found that you couldn't say anything at all. So you just pressed your forehead to his and hoped he would understand. 

 

_ Thank you for saving me.  _


	3. An Unforeseen Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days 11 to 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drilled a tree and took all the sap for this part.

Eleven days into your stay, and you had felt like your routine of cleaning & cooking together was going to be something you actually missed. As you washed the dishes and pondered your change of heart, Arthur was in the bedroom, packing a bag with an extra set of clothes and some trail rations.

 

“I’ll be heading out with the sheriff and some of the other deputies on a hunt,” he said as he rolled a shirt tightly and stuffed it into his pack. “Pack your stuff. Tomorrow morning I’ll drop you off at the hotel in town. Stay there until I come back. I’ll pay for it.”

 

You looked at him, irked that he would just order you to do something without any explanation. “You better have a damn good reason—”

 

“We’re huntin’ a serial killer out there. It ain’t safe out here alone.”

 

Your eyes went wide. Staring at him, you wondered about everything else. How long had the killer been out there? How long had Arthur known about it? Where could the killer be now?

 

Arthur stopped packing when he saw the look in your eyes and walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head on yours. “It’s why I’m here, kitten. Rangers have been trackin’ him all over the state. Got sent here in case he made his way down to these parts. Now he has. So we’re goin’ to stop him.”

 

You kept silent as you finished cleaning, letting him hold you the rest of the time. Once you finished, you turned in his arms and looked up at him, searching for answers.

 

“So why have you been wasting your time watching over me?”

 

Arthur looked away before speaking. “He tends to murder women. Picks off the lonely lookin’ ones ‘cause they’re easy prey.” He turned back to you, his eyes pleading with you to listen to him. He took your hands and held them gently. “So please. Do as I ask. Stay in town where there’s other people around.”

 

You gulped. Yeah, alright, you understood now why he was on edge when the doctor’s office had been robbed. He had never begged you before; it must be extraordinarily serious.

 

Nodding, you replied, “Alright, I’ll stay at the hotel.”

 

Arthur blew out a breath, relieved that you would listen. He let go of you and stepped away, going back to packing his things. You followed him into the bedroom, and watching his broad back as he moved around, you realized something as your heart clenched in pain.

 

You might be falling for him.

 

“Arthur,” you said quietly, not sure why you were calling to him.

 

“Yes, kitten?” He turned to you so you had his full attention.

 

You paused, looking down at your lap, unsure of what to say. You looked up again when he had dropped to one knee in front of you, taking your hands in his once more. His thumbs rubbed your skin in soothing circles as he patiently waited for you to continue.

 

“Stay safe out there,” you finally said, feeling rather sheepish. You couldn’t say out loud what you wanted, so you just hope he understood what you really meant.

 

_Come back to me._

 

He smiled softly at you as he kissed your hands, his eyes answering your unspoken request.

 

_I promise._

 

***

 

Letting the morning sun warm your skin, you stood outside the hotel, where Arthur had bought a room for you and had given you some cash in case he was gone for longer than the one night. He had taken your suitcase upstairs for you, given you a chaste kiss on the cheek, and left you alone. You had sat in the hotel room quietly for a few minutes before you realized you were crying. Wiping your tears, you got yourself ready for work, and now you were here, outside, breathing in the fresh air, and recognized the feeling in your heart.

 

You had not expected this to happen. You never could have foreseen this in a million years. And yet, deep in your soul, you felt it. Arthur Morgan, deputy, ranger, all around aggravating gentleman, had won your love.

 

Stomping towards the doctor’s office, you put your thoughts aside to focus on work, because you were not ready to deal with this new emotion. You sure as hell didn’t want to think about the possibility that Arthur might not come back.

 

***

 

One night passed. You hadn't heard any news, hadn't seen any signs of the posse returning. The town was the same as usual, maybe a bit rowdier with most of the lawmen out. But everyone knew why they were gone, and people were hurrying home in groups, staying together for safety.

 

“I think he's been good for you,” the doctor said as the two of you closed the office for the evening.

 

“How so?”

 

“You've been calmer. You were such a jittery thing when you first started working for me, and that never fully went away.”

 

You just laughed. You used to find it hard to speak to people casually, having never grown up around talkative people. So you'd stutter and stammer your way through most small talk, or say nothing at all and just grunt. Very ladylike, surely.

 

“And I can see how much he loves you.”

 

You sputtered and stared at him. The doctor looked back at you with a look that said you were blind as a bat if you had not noticed.

 

“He takes the time every day to bring you to work and bring you home. He pays for a hotel so you can stay safe in town while he's out catching a killer. And you may not notice, but he looks at you like you're his whole world.”

 

Huffing, you looked away. That couldn't be true. Could it? You turned back to the doctor.

 

“I don't know what to do,” you confessed.

 

“Child, none of us who were put on God's earth really know what to do. But we try until we find out.”

 

You nodded. Weighing everything that had happened, you thought about all of your interactions with him since he came to town. He was not the man you thought he was in the beginning. He kept showing different sides of himself, but it was all wrapped up in one package named Arthur. But one thing kept ringing true; he only ever had eyes for you.

 

“Also, the deputy asked me if I could escort you to the hotel every night until he came back.”

 

You laughed. Of course he did.

 

***

 

It was the third day since Arthur had left. You were staring out the window, your notes forgotten.

 

You heard the doctor call out your name, and turned to him to apologize for daydreaming.

 

‘It's alright, I understand. I’m worried about the lads myself. I think we'll have some serious work to do when they return. Let's get the office ready when they do.”

 

Grateful for the doctor's forethought, you busied yourself with getting the office ready for multiple patients. A couple of hours flew by, and you were thankful for the distraction.

 

Just as you were finishing up preparing the office around midday, you heard shouts from down the road. Both you and the doctor headed outside to look. You glanced at him, and he nodded at you, and you both immediately took off towards the posse.

 

They looked haggard; a couple dead bodies were on their horses, and several injured men were riding with the healthy ones. You started looking for Arthur's white horse, but couldn't see him.

 

The doctor called out to you, and your attention switched to him, helping one of the injured men off a horse. You immediately rolled up your sleeves and got to work.

 

***

 

The afternoon was filled with nursing the injured, stitching wounds and digging out bullets. Your hands were bloody and sore from wrapping bandages and holding down patients. But you had learned a lot from this experience. You were just cleaning up when you saw the sheriff come in.

 

“Where’s Ar- I mean, Deputy Morgan?” you blurted out.

 

The sheriff took off his hat, and you feared the worst.

 

“He took the killer to St. Denis to be hung by the officials there. Was a helluva surprise when he flashed that ranger badge,” the sheriff drawled.

 

You breathed a sigh of relief and suppressed a laugh. “Did he say he was coming back?”

 

The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, said he would be back around sundown. Dunno why he’d stay in a town as small as this, though.”

 

“Maybe he found a reason to stay,” the doctor said, winking at you. You furiously turned around to hide the blush forming on your cheeks.

 

“Anyway, just came here to check on my men, then I’ll be on my way.” He clapped the doctor on the shoulder. “Thank you for all your help, sir.”

 

The doctor pointed out that you had done a lot of the work as well; the sheriff looked at you, surprised for a moment, before nodding his thanks. Old fashioned men. Sigh.

 

After the sheriff left and you had helped the doctor clean up the office, helping the less injured men out the door to return to their homes, you offered to stay with the doctor to tend to the more critically injured.

 

“It’s alright, dear, you can go and get some rest.” The doctor paused, looking past you for a few moments. “I think your ride home is here.”

 

You turned around.

 

Arthur stood in the doorway, a little worse for wear. A makeshift bandage was wrapped around his forearm. He had small cuts everywhere, a bruise on his face, and you were sure he’d have more on his body.

 

“Killer had a posse of his own,” he said at your unasked question.

 

You stepped forward. “Do… do you need anything here?”

 

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Just a scratch,” he said, holding up his bandaged arm. Then he held his hand out to you.

 

“Let’s go home.”

 

You turned to look at the doctor, and he just smiled and nodded at you. You bid him a good night, and turned to walk towards Arthur. With each step, your heart beat louder. When you finally took his hand, it was like a lock fell into place, and all felt right with the world. He led you out like a gentleman, escorting you to the hotel to get your things.

 

“Did you want to take a bath here? I need to pack,” you said, looking him over. He looked like he had ridden nonstop to get back here from St. Denis. He probably had.

 

“Is that your way of sayin’ I smell?” he joked, giving you a teasing smile.

 

You slapped his arm and went upstairs. Packing your things, you lugged your suitcase back downstairs and asked the clerk where Arthur went.

 

“He’s in the bath, second door on the left down this hallway,” he replied, pointing the way. You thanked him and made your way towards the room. Knocking, you told him you would wait for him in the lobby while he bathed.

 

“Come in here,” he said through the door. Your face turned bright red.

 

“I can’t do that!”

 

“Please.”

 

Sighing, you let yourself in, putting your suitcase by the door and refusing to look at him.

 

“I’m almost done, but….” he trailed off. You finally looked up at him shyly. You couldn’t really see anything below his waist, but you winced at all the bruises on his body.

 

“I’m alright, darlin’,” he said in a hushed tone. “Could you get my back? It’s hard to reach.”

 

You nodded, and rolling up your sleeves, grabbed the loofah and scrubbed his back. When you had gotten him as clean as possible, you handed the loofah back to him and quickly scurried back to the door.

 

“I’ll meet you in the lobby,” you said, grabbing your suitcase and shutting it behind you as you fled. You couldn't face him, even when he came out and took your suitcase, and led you back home.

 

***

 

The moment both of you entered the house, Arthur wrapped his arms around you. Turning in his embrace, you looked up at him.

 

“It’s your last night, kitten. What do you wanna do?”

 

You blinked. You had stopped counting. Had two weeks passed so quickly?

 

“What about you?” you asked him back. “You’re the one who just saved everyone.”

 

“Weren’t nothin’,” he mumbled. “Just doin’ my job.”

 

You cradled his face in your hands, and he closed his eyes and leaned into your touch.

 

“I’m not blind,” you said. “I see the good you do in this town; I see the lawbreakers you put away. Granted, I’m one of them…”

 

He touched your hands and held your gaze. “You never hurt nobody.” He leaned in and kissed your forehead. “I wasn’t goin’ to give you to that man in St. Denis,” he confessed.  “I’d never give you to anyone.”

 

He suddenly became stock-still, his eyes wide for a split second before closing them again. You heard what he said, understood what he meant, and he knew it. He finally opened his eyes after a handful of moments and you couldn't ignore the look of love in his ocean-colored gaze.

 

“What do _you_ want?” you asked again quietly.

 

Arthur closed the distance and kissed you, gentle in touch but desperate in feel.

 

“You,” he whispered. “Always you.”

 

***

 

You weren’t sure how you got into the bedroom, and you weren’t sure how you both ended up naked, wrapped up in each other’s arms, just kissing, caressing, _touching_ every inch of skin, reminding the other that they were alive and real and _here_ , right now.

 

Spreading your legs, you opened yourself for him without being asked, and his eyes never left yours as he slid inside of you and held you tight. None of the other nights were like this; they had been like a forest fire, sweeping desire and a torrent of lust tumbling through you. Tonight was a campfire, passionate heat wrapped up in soft kisses and tender embraces. He only whispered of your beauty, your courage, your personality, how much he missed you while he was gone.

 

And you hardly said a word; it wasn’t in your nature. You just clung to him, encouraging him to take what he wanted with your actions; you lifted your hips to meet his thrusts, you wrapped your arms and legs around him, you kissed him and begged for more. He touched you, knowing exactly how to make you fly apart, and when he joined you in blissful ecstasy, pulling out and finishing on your stomach, he pressed his forehead against yours.

 

“Love you,” he whispered so quietly that you almost didn’t hear it.

 

***

 

The morning light came in the small window in the corner as you packed your suitcase. You could feel Arthur’s eyes on you, burning a hole in your back. Finally you turned to him to tell him to stop staring, but your words caught in your throat. He was trying to look neutral, but the sadness in his eyes was too hard to ignore, so you asked him the one thing you told yourself you wouldn’t ask.

 

“Do you want me to stay?”

 

“Only if you want to.”

 

“I’m asking what _you_ want.”

 

He stepped closer and held you in his arms; you could feel heartache in his touch, like he was never going to see you again.

 

“I want you here forever. But only if you’re willin’.” He sighed. “I know I gave you no choice in the beginnin’, I wanted you so bad. But I know it was wrong.” He gently pressed his lips to your forehead. “You shouldn’t forgive me. _I_ don’t forgive me.”

 

You rested your head against his shoulder. “I know. I should hate you. But I don’t.” You looked up at him, making up your mind. “I _do_ forgive you.”

 

You stepped out of his arms and continued to pack, but you spoke over your shoulder. “I’m going to leave, and you’re going to court me properly. Then we’ll see where that goes.” You smirked at him. “Who knows, I may end up back here after all, if you play your cards right.”

 

The smile he gave you was full of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH, I’M SORRY THIS CAME OUT ALL FEELS AND LITTLE SMUT. I seriously started this fic thinking, “Oh boy, I’m gonna write all the smut!” And then I didn’t. Like a liar.  
> Well, I hope you enjoyed this anyway, for those of you who kept going with this. *bows* Thank you for reading.


End file.
